Alaska and JetBlue were tops in customer satisfaction, despite fees that continue to annoy fliers

The forecast for Alaska for Wednesday: mostly sunny with a chance of satisfied customers. That’s what a J.D. Power & Associates study, released Wednesday shows: Alaska ranked first in customer satisfaction for its airline and first in satisfaction among those who use Alaska’s awards program.

Amazingly, customer satisfaction with airlines was significantly higher than it was in the 2013 J.D. Power study, reaching a record 712 on a 1,000-point scale. That’s despite baggage and other fees and increasing fare prices, all irritants to travelers.

Have passengers adopted a Pollyanna personality? Not exactly, said Rick Garlick, global practice lead for J.D. Power’s travel and hospitality group.

“Some of the increase in — and I’m putting air quotes around this word — improvements in satisfaction are really more that people have become more tolerant and accepting of the things that made them dissatisfied before,” he said.

Palm Springs

Christina House / For The Times

The Desert Riviera hotel ranked first among U.S. properties in customer service, according to TripAdvisor.

The Desert Riviera hotel ranked first among U.S. properties in customer service, according to TripAdvisor. (Christina House / For The Times)

Technology has helped improve satisfaction. The check-in process, with the use of online and mobile devices, has cut wait times and bettered the customer experience, he said.

Airlines also are basking in the reflected glow, he said, from the Transportation Security Administration’s Pre-Check program, which allows pre-approved passengers to skip the removal of jackets, shoes, liquids and laptops to speed through screening (but it does not allow them to skip screening).

Once passengers have run that gantlet, they’re finding better in-flight entertainment that allows them to while away the uncomfortable hours in ever-more-crowded planes.

Palm Springs

Christina House / For The Times

Hotel California in Palm Springs rated second in service, according to TripAdvisor.

Hotel California in Palm Springs rated second in service, according to TripAdvisor. (Christina House / For The Times)

The rest of the traditional carriers ranked this way in the satisfaction study after Alaska: